The Reproach of Sri Devpuriji

Once numerous devotees had gathered for satsang and their songs and prayers resounded far and wide. Suddenly a horse appeared and approached the ashram at full gallop but no rider could be seen on its back. Only the glint of a shining sword flashed in the sun. The disciples wondered at this, when Mahaprabhuji explained.

"This is a sign that my Guru, Sri Devpuriji, is coming. Move out of the way quickly!"

At that same moment Yogiraj Sri Devpuriji entered the ashram and in an enraged voice cried, "Deep! What is all this maya you create here with leaf and match stick. I have come to remove it."

So saying, he took the leaf that lay in the sand. He then ordered the disciples to pile up all musical instruments, books, blankets and household goods of the ashram. These he set on fire.

Surprised and afraid, the disciples hid themselves from Sri Devpuriji. Only Mahaprabhuji remained relaxed and calm. After some time Sri Nathulal Meghwal a close disciple, dared to come out and spoke respectfully to Sri Devpuriji.

"Mahadeva, why do you destroy our instruments, on which we play to honour Thy name? How shall we celebrate satsang now?"

Without anger and with great compassion and mercy, Sri Devpuriji replied, "I did not destroy these instruments but sent them to devaloka[1] to Lord Indra and his celestial companions. They also praise Sri Vishwa Deep, the Light of the Universe. Don't worry, you will get everything back and much, much more."

Sri Devpuriji then asked for the ashram cash box and took out all the silver coins and began to hammer them, splitting each one into four pieces. These he then scattered around the ashram.

"I am sowing the coins here for the devotees of Sri Deep Mahaprabhuji so that none among the true devotees shall ever remain poor."

Eventually Sri Devpuriji sat down and Mahaprabhuji prostrated himself respectfully before him. With folded hands he recited the following prayer:

AB TUM DAYA KARO GURUDEVA JI

Have mercy on us, Gurudeva,The dweller of Kailash,We are your devotees, we seek refuge at your feet,Through you we cross the ocean of the world,You are indescribable, unborn and perfect,Remove all doubts and Karmas from us,You lead your devotees to the path of Truth.

Shiva –Yogi, great Lord!Infinite and unfathomable is your Divine play,Your Lila radiates the whole universe,You are the creator of everything,Without cause, boundless, without attachmentYour being originates from you, yourself.

Just as the stars are mirrored in the waterSo you sparkle in every heart,You are the Supreme Being, kind and generous,Lord, protect us forever!

You are the Preserver of the Cosmos,Your wisdom and mercy are infinite,Words are unable to describe you,You have equal love for all creatures.

Sometimes you withdraw yourself in silence,Meeting with you means the path to Moksha,You are completely free, without attachment,You are the essence of purity — like Sattva Guna,You liberate us from ego and vanity.

I bow at the feet of my Satguru,He is OM, Eternal, unblemished, Perfect, unchangeable Reality,Perpetual Bliss, he is Brahman.

He pervades the whole Cosmos, animate and inanimate CreationBefore him who is pure Consciousness, beyond space and time,Beyond birth and death, beyond all duality,Before you, Gurudeva, I bow.

Before him who through his graceLiberates devotees from the burden of the world,O Gurudeva, before him — Sat Chit Ananda[3] — I bow.

After offering this prayer, Mahaprabhuji once again bowed to Sri Devpuriji.

"O Vishwa Deep!" Sri Devpuriji replied, "In their ignorance, the people are incapable of understanding the secrets of my Divine play."

"Lord Shiva himself, you are," Mahaprabhuji answered. "No holy scripture, no Veda or text could ever describe your greatness. You can only be described as 'neti neti'[4], for without your grace no-one can recognise you. A poet once said, 'Never fear the anger of a Saint for it is like the cloud which brings life-giving rain'. Your anger is like fire but it only serves to destroy all the evil in man."

Sri Devpuriji mounted his horse and left the ashram and slowly the perplexed disciples gathered in a group view at the charred remains of what Sri Devpuriji had burnt. They wondered how they would continue ashram life without the tools required for everyday use, especially since now there were no funds to procure more.

Sensing their despair, Mahaprabhuji reassured them, "Don't worry. Within a short time we will get everything back."

Suddenly they heard the noise of an engine. A truck came and stopped in front of the ashram. It was loaded with household goods. The driver reverently bowed to Mahaprabhuji and asked that he accept the goods as donation. The disciples were amazed, nobody knew the man nor from where he had come. Joyfully they unloaded the truck and brought everything to Mahaprabhuji while praising the name of Gurudeva!

This story retold by his H.H. Swamiji in Satsang at Dungog Ashram, Australia January 2010

[2]turiya = "above the Trinity", it is that highest state of consciousness where there is the unification of knowledge, knower and the subject of knowledge. It is also the seeing of the three chronological dimensions: past, present and future.

[4]netineti = literally "not this, not that", that is, God is not this and not that. The nature of God is beyond definable terms, therefore the only possible description of God is the exclusion of the non-applicable. The power of the intellect is limited in its perception, for the limited is unable to grasp That which is unlimited. The changeable is unable to grasp That which is unchangeable.